City wants Alliance citizens to buy vacant lots for $136

The empty lots scattered throughout Alliance neighborhoods following demolition of abandoned and condemned homes are not selling as fast as city officials would like to see them go. And, with more demolition planned by the Alliance Health Department to be paid for with additional funding from the attorney general's Moving Ohio Forward program, there will potentially be many more parcels to move back into productivity.

So far this year, 40 property owners have purchased lots in Alliance through the county's Side Lot Program, but there are still about 19 parcels that have not been sold, according to Alliance Law Director Jennifer Arnold. Arnold runs the city's Vacant Lands program, which allows any city resident a chance to buy one of the vacant parcels. For property owners who own land contiguous to one of the empty lots, the county's Side Lot Program may be utilized, and it is more economical. Property owners who own land contiguous to the lots may also use the Vacant Land program, and they may choose to do so because while it is more expensive, at a cost of roughly $800 top $900, it is also quicker, according to Amelia Kocher, community development planner for the city.

The county's Side Lot Program was recently handed over to the Regional Planning Commission, and it is run by Sarah Peters. She reported on Wednesday the cost for a citizen to buy an empty lot through the program is $136, which includes a $100 deposit/fee, plus $36 for recording fees and a $1 transfer fee. Any back taxes on the properties are forgiven. A recommendation was made by members of the SCLRC (Stark County Land Reutilization Corporation, or land bank) on Monday to pass title search and other associated costs down to the purchaser, as the SCLRC is currently absorbing them, but Peters said the idea was tabled.

While there were only 40 applicants in Alliance approved for the Side Lot Program in 2014, there were 591 total for Canton, Alliance and Massillon, plus 47 in other municipalities across the county, which, according to Stark County Treasurer Alex Zumbar, is a cost burden for the SCLRC. Zumbar has stated he would like to see citizens utilizing the city programs in municipalities that have them in place, such as Alliance. He said the land bank shouldn't have to cover the costs associated with the program and the county doesn't know whether the city would like to purchase any of the lots before they sell them to applicants. However, Arnold said she wants to see people use whatever program they wish.

"I want to see the land back in use by the citizens," said Arnold. "And if the city had their eyes on any of the property, they would have already purchased it."

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Michelle Cutler, a city housing specialist who works in conjunction with the county on the Side Lot Program concurred. Both she and Peters reported once a citizen applies for a side lot, the county checks to see if certain requirements are met, such as the applicant being contiguous and not delinquent in property taxes, and then she passes the applications to Cutler, who has 30 days to ensure the applicant has no open violations, such as zoning issues or nuisances, etc., and to ascertain what the intended use of the land will be and whether the city has an intended use. Cutler then notifies Peters if the application is accepted or denied.

Arnold said some people have asked about a "mow to own" program used in various Ohio counties, but Kocher said it is her understanding once the mowing is complete, the applicant still has to pay title transfer fees and such, plus the program takes longer as the applicant must first mow the lot for a period of time. "That's why I feel our Side Lot Program is a better program than a 'mow to own' program," said Kocher.

She pointed out the 19 lots currently available were created by demolition paid for through the Moving Ohio Forward program, which is administered by the Alliance Health Department. "So, the city is doing what they can to get condemned and blighted structures torn down and get the property back into constructive use," she closed.

Applications for the Side Lot Program are available at starkcountyohio.gov/treasurer/resources/stark-county-land-reutilization-corporation-sclrc. Information is also available from the Stark County Land Reutilization Corporation at 330-451-7387.